Patriotic Front Secretary General Hon Davies Mwila says if the UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was serious about dialogue, he should have written to the PF Secretariat.

Hon Mwila stated that the PF has always been willing to dialogue but that Mr. Hichilema has always found excuses with conditions.

He indicated that Mr. Hichilema can NOT summon the Head of State who is also President of the ruling Patriotic Front for a meeting through the media.

Hon Mwila also said the party is happy that President Lungu is ‘game’ to contest on the PF ticket in 2021.

The ruling party Chief Executive Officer further stated that the PF Government has put Agriculture at the top of its agenda for Economic Diversification and will therefore continue supporting eligible farmers under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

Hon Mwila said timely distribution of inputs across the country is underway with the direct input supply model targeting 60% of the one million eligible beneficiary farmers.

He said the remainder of the 40% of the eligible beneficiaries will be covered under the E-Voucher System.

He said this in Lusaka at the PF Secretariat when he addressed the media on the outcomes of the Central Committee meeting held on Tuesday, 12th November, 2019.

Hon Mwila also disclosed that the PF Central Committee examined various challenges facing citizens across the country including the climate change induced power deficit, drought and high mealie meal prices.

The Secretary General further disclosed that for the Milenge Council Chairperson by-election in Luapula Province, the party’s adopted candidate is Mr. Benny Chola Mibenge, while the Campaign Manager is Hon Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, who will be deputised by Hon Anthony Kasandwe of Bangweulu Constituency and Hon Anthony Malama from Nchelenge Constituency.

The President of the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) struggled and failed to clearly explain to the Constitutional Court whether by inviting institutions and persons to make submissions, the National Assembly attempted to involve the people in the legislative process.

In a matter in which LAZ has challenged the enactment of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill 10, Solicitor General Abraham Mwansa asked LAZ to read paragraph 8 of their Witness statement in which he stated:

“[8] I note that the Third Respondent in an effort to involve the public in the legislative process in line with the provisions of Article 89(1) of the Constitution wrote to the Petitioner and many other institutions and persons inviting them to submit memoranda on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the “Bill”)

When asked whether he agreed the National Assembly made efforts to engage everyone in the legislative process, including LAZ, Mr Mwitwa said the institutions and persons are not the people.

This prompted the Solicitor General to ask him to read the definition of persons in the Constitution and the question was repeated to him whether Parliament made efforts to engage the people including LAZ, to which he said he doesn’t know.

Another lawyer from the Attorney General, Francis Mwale asked the LAZ President to whether there was a standard procedure of amending the Constitution to which Mr Mwitwa responded by referring to the Technical Committee process preceding the 2016 amendments as the standard.

Mr. Mwitwa belaboured to explain processes which included consultative forums and conferences.

The Principal State Advocate Mwale asked him to explain which law provided for that process, Mr Mwitwa said there was none.

Mr Mwitwa also told the Court that when Parliament invited them to make submissions to the Parliamentary Committee scrutinising the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill, Parliament did not invite them to a legislative process but a consultative process.

When shown Article 89(1) of the Constitution on the provision for Parliament to engage in a legislative process, Mr Mwitwa maintained that the process to scrutinise the Bill by a Parliamentary Committee is not a legislative process but consultative one.

Former State House Press Aide Amos Chanda has failed to appear for questioning at the Drug Enforcement Commission.

And the Drug Enforcement Commission has confirmed that Mr Chanda had by broadcast time not availed himself for questioning and officers were still waiting for him.

According to the Commission, there has been no official communication from Mr Chanda on the reasons for his failure to appear for questioning.

Mr Chanda was yesterday summoned by the Drug Enforcement Commission to appear for questioning today and was expected to avail himself for questioning at 09 hours.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that the call out was in relation to alleged money laundering charges.

And reports indicate that Mr Chanda has expressed surprise that a call-out by the Drug Enforcement Commission Anti Money Laundering Unit was issued, highly circulated and publicized before he or his lawyers were served of the document.

Sources close to Mr Chanda said till today, no document has been served on him and was still waiting for official communication.

Media reports also indicated that lawyers to Mr. Chanda, Makebi Zulu &Associates had earlier in the day dispatched Mr. Jonas Zimba to liaise with DEC Anti-Money Laundering Unit to discuss suitable dates when Mr. Chanda was available and to appear before the Unit to attend to the details of the alleged investigations.

It is understood that Mr Chanda learnt of the call out from social media and was only able to return to Lusaka last evening when ZNBC broadcast a confirmation of the summon.

Mr Chanda was on a personal mission to Mazabuka.

The National Union of Public and Private Educators of Zambia has supported plans by the Lusaka Province administration to demolish structures built on land belonging to Munali Secondary School.

NUPPEZ General Secretary Nelson Mwale said in an interview that it is unfortunate that some people have started encroaching on land belonging to the Ministry of Education reserved for school expansion and other infrastructure.

Mr Mwale said the action by Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo is commendable and should be extended to all schools whose land has been encroached by developers.

He also appealed to government to utilize reverse school land to construct new classroom blocks or build Teachers houses.

Mr Mwale said the union is engaging government on the need to construct houses for teachers as is currently the case with Defense and Security wings but wondered where the houses will be built with the land encroached.

“We are dismayed that the public can keep on encroaching the land belonging to Munali Secondary school with impunity. This is disappointing”, he said.

Mr Mwale has urged Law Enforcement Agencies to ensure that those found wanting are brought to book and land repossessed to ensure that it benefits the schools.